Spinning rings



April 9, 1963 w. A. KLUTTZ 3,084,501

SPINNING RINGS Filed Aug. 24, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR H 7 WALTER A. KLUTTZ ORNEY W. A. KLUTTZ SPINNING RINGS April 9, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 24, 1962 INVENTOR: WALTER. A. K TTZ United States Patent @fice 3,084,501 Patented Apr. 9, 1963 3,084,501 SPINNING IHNGS Walter Albert Kluttz, Gastonia, N.C., assignor to Kluttz Rings, Inc., Gastonia, N.C., a partnership Filed Aug. 24, 1962, Ser. No. 219,173 13 Claims. (Cl. 57-120) This invention relates to improvements in spinning or twisting rings employed on spinning and certain other types of textile frames. Rings of this class are adapted to receive guides or travelers which are free to move therearound under the influence of a strand of fibrous material passing from drafting rolls to a yarn package mounted on a rotating spindle.

Modern textile spinning and twisting equipment is designed to deliver maximum performance under increasing operating speeds and more severe operating conditions. The existing trend toward increased spindle and traveler speeds has multiplied the metallic frictional forces between the ring and traveler and resulted in premature ring failures from causes such as excess heat, traveler impact, and granular weakening of the ring material.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a spinning or twisting ring which offers diminished frictional resistance to the traveler and, moreover, supplies an increased cooling effect to the heat produced by such resistance. A reduction of frictional resistance is obtained by improving the surface properties of, and reducing the contact area between, the traveler and ring. An increased cooling effect is obtained by subdividing the frictional contact area into a plurality of concentric bands or flutes, leaving intervening concentric grooves which are not subject to travelercontact and which permit free circulation of air over the adjacent walls of the flutes.

The manufacturing steps briefly outlined below have been followed in the production of rings of optimum quality according to this invention: After machining the base metal to roughly approximate the finished contour of a ring, it is heat treated to a depth controlled by the thickness of the ring web whereby the thicker ring flange is provided with a relatively soft core to absorb traveler impact or shock. Following the heat treatment, the ring is subjected to an electro-polishing treatment which comprises a finishing operation designed to deburr, brighten, level and polish the surfaces and at the same time removing more metal at the sharp edges than at other surfaces (see Electroplating Engineering Handbook, Graham, 1955, pages 107128). A gentle contour is thus imparted to the ring and particularly to the fluted wearing surfaces on the ring flange. The succeeding treatment many consist either in the plating of the ring in accordance with the teachings of Patent No. 2,970,425, issued February 7, 1961, or by imparting self-lubricating characteristics to the ring in a manner such as disclosed in Patent No. 2,987,871, issued June 13, 196 1.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

FIGURE 1 is a plan view showing a spinning ring according to the present invention as it appears when operating in association with a traveler and a rotating yarn package;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 2-2 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view through the ring and taken along line 3-3 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged diagrammatic view illustrating the cross-section of the upper ring flanges in FIGURE 3, and showing different positions occupied by a traveler with respect to the ring, and the respective depths of heat and lubricity treatments;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged diagrammatic view illustrating the cross-section of the upper inner flange of the ring after it has been machined and prior to heat treatment;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged diagrammatic view illustrating the cross-section of the upper inner flange of the ring after it has been finished and subjected to the effects of traveler wear, and

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged diagrammatic view illustrating the cross-section of the upper flange of the ring associated with a fluted traveler.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates my improved spinning or twisting ring comprising a web 11, upper flange 12, lower inner flange 12a, upper outer flange 13, and lower outer flange 13a. The ring is reversible whereby either the flanges 12, 13 or the flanges 12a, [13a may occupy uppermost position during operation.

In the drawings the flanges are shown in upper-most position with a conventional traveler mounted for movement therearound under the influence of a strand 1 5, said strand passing downardly (FIGURE 3) from drafting rolls (not shown), through the traveler, and then laterally onto rotating yarn package 16. During a spinning operation, the ring 10 reciprocates vertically with respect to package 16, at which time the strand causes the traveler 14 to assume various positions relative to ring flanges 12, 13 as indicated in bold and dotted line positions in FIGURE 4.

It will be observed that the principal wear, friction, and resulting heat occurs between the flange 12 and the .traveler 14, thereby necessitating special treatment to counteract these destructive forces which cause premature ring failure. Although some of the manufacturing steps employed in the production of my improved rings are applied to the entire ring surface, the critical area is the wearing surface which determines the nature of treatment to be applied.

The first step of the manufacturing process consists in machining the base metal of the ring to roughly approximate its finished contour, during which spaced concentric grooves 22, 23, 24 and 25 are formed in the inner convex flange surfaces between points 20 and 21 (FIGURE 5), leaving intervening ridges or flutes 28 through 32 as an unfinished base or contact surface for the traveler 14. The machining step does not produce a finished surface, but leaves burrs, as well as sharp edges 35 at the junctions of the concave and convex machined surfaces.

In order to provide a gentle and micro-smooth finished contour to the outer Wearing surface, and to other ring surfaces, the electro-polishing step is effected in a manner such as mentioned above (see Electro-Plating Handbook supra). The finished wearing surface, when polished through electrochemical action, corresponds to the outline 38 shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 5 and in bold lines in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4. The finished flutes 28 through 32 reduce the area of contact between the traveler and ring and the intervening grooves 22 through 25 permit air circulation for dissipating the generated heat.

The machined metallic ring is then subjected to heat treatment to case harden its outer surface to the dotdash line 33, thereby providing a relatively soft core 34 (FIGURE 4) as previously mentioned. The depth of such case hardening is controlled by the thickness of web 11 inasmuch as it is desirable to fully case harden the web while retaining a large soft core in the flange.

When finished by the above electropolishing method, lubricity is imparted to the ring by suitable means such as impregnation with sulphur to the depth indicated by dot-dash lines 39 in FIGURE 4 according to the aforev3 mentioned Patent No. 2,987,871. When impregnated with sulphur the surface hardness is reduced, but is subsequently restored without destroying the lubricity.

If desired, the ring or its wearing surfaces may be plated in accordance with the teachings of the abovementioned Patent No. 2,970,425 instead of employing the lubricity treatment according to Patent No. 2,987,871. When the plating treatment is employed, a self-leveling metal is added and the flutes or ridges are still further enlarged approximately between the edges 35 (PEG- URE 5).

FIGURE 6 illustrates the approximate manner in which the ridges or flutes are worn by the action of traveler 14. It is here seen that the serpentine cross-sectional contour has been interrupted by flat worn areas 46 to depths at or below the lubricated layer. When thus worn, a substantial lubricated area will still contact the traveler, even until the ridges are completely worn away thereby providing a measure of lubricity to adjacent non-lubricated worn surfaces as a result of the wiping action of the traveler.

The top and bottom surfaces of the ring flanges are each provided with a concave annular recess 41 which serves to reduce the weight of the ring and prevents the yarn from wed-ging between the traveler and the ring, the latter action commonly known as chafing.

Although the ring constituting the present invention may be made from metallic substances as described above, and subjected to certain plating or lubricity treatments, it is evident that either metallic or non-metallic materials may be employed in forming fluted twisting rings possessing decreased wearing surfaces and increased heat dissipation characteristics. For example, plain high carbon steel with or without chromium carbides have been found suitable for making metallic rings treated as described above, whereas plain or fiber-filled plastics may be employed in some instances with favorable lubricity characteristics inherent in the material itself.

It will be observed that the inner ring flanges 12 and 12a are wider than the outer flanges in order to provide. the necessary traveler operating clearance after the flutes have been worn in a manner illustrated in FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 7 shows a slightly modified form of theinvention in which the flutes are provided in the traveler rather than in the inner flange. Inner flange 43 is convex and finished with a smooth wearing surface, whereas traveler 14a is provided with a series of flutes 14b and intervening grooves extending in the direction of travel of the traveler. The contact area between the traveler and ring flange is thereby reduced and the intervening grooves will permit air circulation to dissipate the heat due to frictional contact. If desired, the traveler may be treated in a manner similar to the previously described ring treatment to impart the necessary hardness and lubricity.

The claimed invention:

1. A spinning or twisting ring having an annular flange portion for slidably receiving a traveler thereon, said flange portion being provided with a plurality of ribs and intervening grooves along its path of contact with said traveler, whereby the traveler will slide upon said ribs and the intervening grooves will permit air circulation to dissipate heat produced by the sliding contact.

2. A spinning or twisting ring as defined in claim 1 wherein at least said ribs comprise a case-hardened steel impregnated with sulphur to provide a lubricated rib surface.

3. A spinning or twisting ring as defined in claim 1 wherein at least said ribs comprise a case-hardened steel plated with a self-leveling nickel coating to reduce the coefficient of friction of the rib surfaces.

4. In combination, a spinning or twisting ring having a fluted annular flange portion, and a traveler supported on said flange for sliding contact with the fluted portion thereof.

5. A spinning or twisting ring as defined in claim 4 wherein at least said flutes comprise a case-hardened steel impregnated with sulphur to provide a lubricated flute surface. I l

6. A spinning or twisting ring as defined in claim 4 wherein at least said flutes comprise a case-hardened steel plated with a self-leveling nickel coating to reduce gtthe c-oeflicient of friction of the flute surface.

7. A spinning or twisting ring comprising an upwardly extending web, and inner and outer horizontal flange portion-s integral with the upper portion of the web and adapted to receive a traveler for sliding movement thereon, the contact area. of the flange between said traveler and inner flange portion having a plurality of flutes therein forming an endless contact path, said path being substantially alined with the direction of movement of the traveler.

8. A spinning or twisting ring as defined in claim 7 wherein at least said flutes comprise a case-hardened steel impregnated with sulphur to provide a lubricated flute surface.

9. A spinning or twisting ring as defined in claim 7 wherein at least said flutes comprise a case-hardened steel plated with a self-leveling nickel coating to reduce the coefficient of friction of the flute surface.

10. In combination, a spinning or twisting ring having an annular flange member, and a traveler member for circular movement upon and in sliding contact with said flange member, the contacting surface area of one of said members having a plurality of flutes therein sub-stantially alined with the direction ofmovement of the traveler member.

11. The combination as defined in claim 7 wherein the inner flange is wider than the outer flange portion.

12. The combination as defined in claim 10 wherein said fluted surface area comprises a case-hardened steel impregnated with sulphur to provide a lubricated flute surface.

13. In combination, a spinning or twisting ring having a vertically disposed web portion and at least one annular flange portion extending laterally inwardly from said web portion, the inner surface of said flange portion having a plurality of horizontally disposed circumferential ribs and intervening [grooves therein, and a traveler supported on said flange portion for sliding con-tact with the ribs thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,392,067 Lanning Sept. 27, 1921 2,970,425 Foard Feb. 7, 1961 2,987,871 Foard June 13, 196i 

4. IN COMBINATION, A SPINNING OR TWISTING RING HAVING A FLUTED ANNULAR FLANGE PORTION, AND A TRAVELER SUPPORTED ON SAID FLANGE FOR SLIDING CONTACT WITH THE FLUTED PORTION THEREOF. 